Wednesday, October 29, 2014

I don't know about you all but the Year of Horse has COMPLETELY flown by for me!

And what a whirlwind of a year it's been!

So far 2014 has gone down in history for me as a very productive and successful year filled with many triumphs both big and small in both my personal & career life.

I would LOVE to elaborate on these little triumphs but will save the details for the coming new year. Needless to say, all of these wonderful happenings have got me doing a lot of personal reflection as the year winds down to a close...

Speaking of the Year of the Horse...

Above Painting done by the very talented Caroline Weaver.

On a side note I actually own one of these original beauties. Caroline said the one I got would bring me super good luck. I'm a believer! Check out more of Caroline's work here! She's awesome!

So these last 10 years of running Adhesif Clothing have had many BIG challenges filled with endless hours of hard work & becoming slightly OCD with organizing. In short, only one word really springs to mind and that is...

Thankfulness

AND on so so so many levels...

(you know who you are)

Now that I've had the chance to look back on the long road less travelled and everything that has transpired along the way that has made me who I am today, I have to tell you that

(without tooting my own horn too much)
I attribute much of the success of Adhesif Clothing
to my loved ones
AND
second
but being overly organized...
Talent, my friends, is really not enough unfortunately.

If you want what you want...you need to get out there and make it happen which requires serious hustle and lot's of it...

Ok so I don't want to get all preachy and stuff instead I will say

being well prepared for anything life can throw out at you as a creative individual means more room for being aware of good opportunities when they arise...

For this reason I've been thinking of doing a blog post on the Artisan's Art Market Survival Kit.

And I mean this literally (not metaphorically or this blog post could go on FOREVER)

Whether you have been participating in art markets/trade shows for the first time or are a well seasoned travelling Gypsy.

Or if you are a generous supporter in awe of us artisans who can bring you the illusion of a portable retail shop within the confines of some pipe & drape I would like to share with you what are the absolute MUST HAVES when setting up your very own booth display...

First of all I put all of the major essentials in a large rubbermaid container so it's always all in one place and I know where to find the most important stuff...

Bags with your company logo on them & other packaging materials are useful in terms of providing your customers with something to take away their purchases in

but they also serve as a HUGE marketing/advertising tool...

Ok...date me if you wish, yes, I use a manual credit card machine...AND??

I don't need Wi-Fi so HA there! ;) Oh and it makes for some pretty crazy conversations about nostalgia with the grey hairs and I like to tell teen agers its a VCR just to mess with them!

hahahaha

Ok ok ok but seriously

Whatever your prefered method of transaction taking is, make sure you got it all sorted & properly display what methods of payment you take. Also having a "Return Policies" clearly written on your receipts UP FRONT is super important for less hassle on any future return discrepancies with what your are willing to do for your customers.

For example, your customer can't come to you the following year at the same show and ask to exchange the item acquired from the previous year's show, for a new design...

Ok lighting is a HUGE deal for a lot of us. Proper lighting is really important especially if you work with fine details...

take note of bringing extra bulbs too, running out of stuff in the middle of the show is not only costly on your time and pocket (at the mercy of whatever over priced convenience store happens to be around) but a real hassle on spending that extra energy that is so precious to a multiple day show.

K, since I'm a fashion designer I have other items that's important to my trade like a measuring tape, tag gun, pins, needles & thread, sticky foam for hangers, window cleaner for cleaning the mirrors (don't forget mirrors if you are a designer...this is really important)

OK, this part's my favorite...

This could very well be the most CRUCIAL part of the trade show survival kit.

Emergency snacks

YOU NEED THEM

I always bring power nibblies like cashews, powerbars

(the edible ones are just as important...dad jokes)

dark chocolate to keep the blood sugar up...

Extra cutlery,

!!WATER!!

wet napkins, paper towel for accidental spills, tissue

and beer...

(it's for later, you know...for after the show...it's refreshing and it's filled with protein!!)

As for the makings of your display booth...

The possibilities with this part is really creatively endless.

Because I make statement clothing I tend to stick to a chic yet minimal display for the most part so as not to distract from what I'm offering.

I use mostly grid walls to display my garment designs with fabric as decoration to cover my back walls & to build my changeroom, some makers go to town & build hard walls.

It really just depends on what your product is and the best you think to display it.

Above photo Adhesif Clothing Booth and designs on the runway of The Circlecraft Christmas Market in Nov 2013

Things to consider

-Floor Covering

-Hanging Displays

-Display stands for promo materials

-Shelving

-Mirror

-Type of Lighting

-A small surface for taking transactions if needed

-Display table for promo materials

-A step stool or something to stand on to help build

-A chair or stool to take rests on

-A piece of rubber foam to stand on for tired tootsies

-For multiple day shows you might need to consider some help for the long hours

P.S: Please don't be that annoying maker who depends on everyone else's stuff & asks to borrow things every 5 minutes and then doesn't return them.

I know you all know what I'm saying here

It's a really stressful time of year for all of us makers right?

And by this I'm not saying don't help each other out...

Let's all be considerate and have our own sh*t together?

No fuss no muss

Just sayin'

(rant over)

I hope this small checklist guide helps make your holiday market planning a little less stressful so you can focus on being YOU at your BEST! :)

Since we're talking shows!

You can find Adhesif Clothing at the following upcoming holiday markets

Created as an antidote to large-scale craft fairs, they aim to present a pleasant shopping (and selling!) atmosphere. Patrons can be sure to find meaningful objects in the most pleasant of shopping environments.

Visit our design studio + showroom by appointment

About Adhesif Clothing Company

Melissa Ferreira is the creator behind Adhesif Clothing, originally born in Montreal, Quebec.
She creates Up-Cycled statement Fashion for interesting people.
Since learning how to sew by her mother at a young age and experimenting with vintage textiles, Melissa is proud to say she is self-taught.
Working as a vintage clothing buyer for many years inspired Melissa to create garments with older fabrics because of the amazing quality and special characteristics a lot of these materials own.
There is a double advantage in using recycled materials; not only do they reduce waste, but they add distinctive personality to her eye-catching designs.
Adhesif can be found at multiple high end artisan based markets across Canada, online via Etsy and at the by appointment design studio in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada.